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Luzerne County plans to issue all bills for county and municipal property taxes on Jan. 31.

This would be earlier than usual, and tax payment due dates also would be earlier. The change is expected to generate earlier tax payments and earlier revenue for the county and cash-strapped municipalities, said Laura Beers, office manager and tax administrator for the county treasurer's office.

Several municipalities have had cash shortages because they had hired the Central Tax Bureau of Pennsylvania and the Don Wilkinson Agency, also known as Centax, for tax collection services. Centax declared bankruptcy this year, and officially ceased operations on Sept. 21 after failing to promptly provide municipalities with tax revenue.

Luzerne County also has been dealing with a cash shortage and transferred various funds to its general fund to pay employees and bills last week. The county has received $18 million from two tax anticipation loans to cover costs until property tax revenue accrues.

The county had been issuing tax bills in a staggered fashion by municipality, typically starting in February, with the last bills often mailed in March. County and municipal property taxes this year can be paid with a 2 percent discount by April 1 and can be paid without penalty by May 30, according to an email from county Manager Robert Lawton.

Wilkes-Barre issues its own bills for city tax collection and has its own assessment system for city taxes. The county prints and mails county property tax bills and most bills for municipal and school taxes, and costs are shared.

Municipal officials are primarily responsible for tax collection. Tax collectors are elected in 69 municipalities to collect property taxes for municipalities, school districts and the county.

The county treasurer's office collects county taxes for properties in Wilkes-Barre, Nanticoke and Pittston. County council is considering a proposal to use county personnel to collect all county taxes, starting in 2014.

Municipal tax collectors are elected this to year to four-year terms. Their pay rates for must be approved before the process to get on the primary election ballot process begins Feb. 19.

mbuffer@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2073

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